Book Review: Why young men? The dangerous allure of violent movements and what we can do about it

• Published date: 01 March 2021
• Author: Craig Heatherly
• DOI: 10.1177/1057567719879472
• Date: 01 March 2021
• Subject Matter: Book Reviews

governments and should therefore be assessed separately. Contrary to many other analyses, the

authors ultimately assess that both majority and dissenting judges in the Tokyo Trials lacked

impartiality and independence in their rulings.

In Part II, the authors evaluate whether the judges make independent, impartial, and competent

determinations of whether each accused is responsible for each charge brought against them beyond

a reasonable doubt. In this respect, Cohen and Totani write that the majority judgment and Judge Pal,

of the dissenting judges, “fail miserably” (p. 260). The majority, the authors find, rely heavily on the

charge of conspiracy and the idea of collective activity within the Japanese government and military,

despite that these are difficult to prove beyond a reasonable doubt, given the context. Justice Pal, of

the dissenting judges, displays a conscious disregard for evidence and the liability of each accused

individual, so that he can condemn the proceedings as a whole. While the authors contend that

Justices Webb and Roeling seem to have substantively analyzed the evidence to determine liability,

the other judges do not spend much, if any, time justifying guilt in their opinions. This analysis

encourages readers to think of the IMTFE not simply as a prima facie instance of “victor’s justice”

but rather as a tribunal that both made noteworthy contributions to the practice and institution of

international law and faced issues of bias and influence in its decisions.

The Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal: Law, History, and Jurisprudence offers a more empirical legal

analysis of the IMTFE, making it a worthwhile read for those looking for a full history of the tribunal

as well as a deeper understanding of its legal strengths, shortcomings, and implications. The book

goes into great detail of both the history and legal arguments, making it a useful and approachable

guide for those with varied levels of familiarity with the tribunal. Stylistically, its placement of

sources on the same page as the relevant text increases readability. However, despite the level

of detail and depth, there are no conclusive abridged texts recapturing the authors’ ideas at the ends

of chapters or the book itself (the book’s conclusion instead begins a thought-provoking discussion

of the legacies of the tribunal and notes areas for future research). Therefore, readers would be well

advised to take notes on ideas they find most stimulating as they read along. Overall, Cohen and

Totani offer an exceedingly thorough analysis of how and why the IMTFE was structured as it was,

what fed into the arguments and decisions presented during the tribunal, and what implications the

tribunal has had on the modern institution of international law.

Jivani, J. (2019).

Why young men? The dangerous allure of violent movements and what we can do about it. New York, NY: All Points

Books. 264 pp. $28.99, ISBN: 978-1-250-19989-8.

Reviewed by: Craig Heatherly , Northeastern State University, Broken Arrow, OK, USA

DOI: 10.1177/1057567719879472

In his book, Why Young Men? The DangerousAllure of Violent Movementsand What We Can Do About

It, JamilJivani examines an old questionthrough a modernlens. Although youngmen have always been

observedto be more violent and/or proneto crime than their female counterparts, this doesnot mean that

the problems facing young men have remained consistent. There are various factors that collectively

predispose some young men to lives of crime, and these factors change based on time, location, and

environment. However, Jivani shows that there is some consistency seen globally as men struggle to

determinetheir place in the world and howto best respond to negativestimuli and environments.Every

society benefits from men who find positivity in their world, raise their families, and contributeto the

systemin which they find themselves.As Jivani observes, it is when theseyoung men lack the resources

or support to aspirethat they truly lose hope and may turn tocrime or violence.

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